Brett Ratner, Director of Melania Trump Documentary, Spotted in Newly Released Epstein Files Photo
Brett Ratner; Melania Trump.
Credit :
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; wireimage
NEED TO KNOW
- Disgraced Hollywood director Brett Ratner is featured in newly released files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation by the Department of Justice.
- A photograph shows Ratner with the late French model agent and Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel.
- Ratner is set to direct the upcoming documentary, MELANIA.
Disgraced director Brett Ratner has surfaced in the latest round of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, as released by the Department of Justice (DOJ). In a photograph published on December 19, Ratner is depicted alongside Jean-Luc Brunel, a former French model agent known for his connection to Epstein.
In the image, Ratner is seen embracing a shirtless Brunel, who appears in a dimly-lit setting. The exact context of the photograph, including its location and date, remains undisclosed.
On December 21, attempts to reach Ratner and his production company, RatPac, for comment yielded no immediate response.
Brett Ratner poses with Jean-Luc Brunel.
justice.gov
Brunel took his own life in 2022 while in prison, facing charges for the rape of a minor. Several years prior, he was identified by Virginia Giuffre, a key accuser in the Epstein case, as having engaged in sexual encounters with her when she was underage.
Ratner has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault from women, including notable figures such as Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. Recently, he has also been criticized for outing a then-18-year-old Elliot Page.
The documentary MELANIA will mark Ratner’s first directorial venture since 2014’s Hercules. In addition to directing, he produced other films like 2017’s The Lego Ninjago Movie and 2019’s Georgetown.
Ratner is widely recognized for directing the Rush Hour franchise, along with films such as The Family Man, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist.
From left: Brian Grazer, Donald Trump, Brett Ratner, Melania Trump and Sean “Diddy” Combs attend the world premiere of ‘Tower Heist’ in 2011.
Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic
Following allegations of sexual misconduct, Ratner announced in November 2017 that he would step away from all projects related to Warner Bros. Subsequently, the studio opted not to renew its $450 million first-look deal with his production company, RatPac.
Ratner has consistently denied the allegations made against him.
Recently, the DOJ released thousands of files, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s signing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, aimed at making all documents from the investigation publicly accessible. This release consisted of five datasets totaling roughly 3,900 files, which included various documents and images, some of which lacked crucial context.
Jeffrey Epstein.
Department of Justice
The DOJ’s files also contained photographs of notable figures, including Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, and Michael Jackson. Recently, at least 16 files have vanished from the DOJ’s website, including a photograph of Trump. According to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, these items were removed to safeguard victims.
Jeffrey Epstein, who died in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking, was found hanging in his jail cell. His death was ruled a suicide.
